Critical Mineral Supply Chains: Risks, Dependencies, and Diversification
Trade
Critical minerals are becoming increasingly important to U.S. global economic competitiveness and security, and highly concentrated supply chains require diversification.
Advanced Recycling Technologies and the Future of Plastic Waste Management
Advanced recycling technologies have emerged as an important complement to traditional recycling systems, enabling the recovery of materials that would otherwise be rejected by mechanical recycling facilities.
Modernization of the Clinical Trials Framework
Health Care
Clinical trials are studies in which researchers assign participants one or more interventions to evaluate their effects on health-related biomedical or behavioral outcomes. Often, the intervention is investigational, which means it is not yet approved for doctors to prescribe to patients, while some Clinical trials study approved therapies. Participants in clinical trials may choose to enroll for a variety of reasons. One common reason is to receive the newest, most cutting-edge treatment when other treatment options have failed or stalled. This can be a source of hope for individuals with rare diseases, aggressive forms of cancer, or other diagnoses with limited treatment options.
USMCA’s First Major Review: Issues to Watch in 2026
Trade
The July 2026 review of USMCA presents a critical opportunity to renew the agreement, reaffirm trilateral trade priorities, and resolve ongoing disputes between the U.S., Mexico, and Canada.
Provider Taxes: Their Role in Medicaid Financing
Health Care
Provider taxes are health care-related fees, assessments, or other mandatory payments that U.S. states place on health care providers to help finance the state’s share of Medicaid expenditures. Nearly every state uses at least one provider tax to help finance Medicaid. Provider Taxes are defined in federal statute and regulations as taxes for which at least 85% of the tax burden falls on health care items, services, or entities that provide or pay for health care items or services, such as hospitals or managed care organizations. Provider taxes may be imposed as a percentage of provider revenues or using an alternative formula, such as a flat tax on facility beds or inpatient days. Generally, states use provider tax revenues to fund Medicaid, including Medicaid base rates and supplemental payments, and to finance eligibility expansions (i.e., Medicaid expansion).
EU Corporate Due Diligence Rules: What the Omnibus Changes Mean
In December 2025, following extensive debate about the regulatory burden, the risk of significant penalties, and potential constraints on global competitiveness, the EU adopted a package of “Omnibus” amendments that revised both the scope and requirements of CS3D.
Continued Labor Reform Dialogue in the 119th Congress
Workforce
In the first year of the Trump Administration and the 119th Congress, the ideological divisions and dialogue on labor policy reform have evolved in response to shifting electoral coalitions.
Behind the Locked Cases: The Threat of Organized Retail Theft
Trade
Organized retail theft has rapidly become one of the most pressing challenges facing retailers, logistics providers, law enforcement, and communities nationwide.